A long-planned effort to improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity in the Mad River Valley is moving forward after the Mad River Path Association secured a $600,000 state transportation grant.
The funding, awarded through the Vermont Agency of Transportation’s Transportation Alternatives Program, will support the design and construction of a new bridge and shared-use path linking the Lareau Swim Hole area to Irasville and Waitsfield village.
The project will extend the existing Austin Path, which currently runs north from Lareau Swim Hole to just short of Mill Brook and south to American Flatbread and nearby trail networks. Plans call for a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Mill Brook, connecting the path to Dugway Road and Fiddlers Walk.
“This is a very, very important connection, because people are walking, connecting the village to Lareau,” said Misha Golfman, executive director of the Mad River Path. “This could better connect the village all the way to the trailheads.”
The total project cost is estimated at $720,000, including a required local match of $120,000. Of that amount, the town of Waitsfield has already committed $60,000, with additional funding to be secured.
“The local match is $120, 000 of which $60,000 has been committed by Waitsfield,” Golfman said, noting that the remaining funds are not immediately needed as construction is several years out.
The project was identified as a priority in a 2025 active transportation scoping study approved by the state, and later received support from the Waitsfield Select Board.
Like many federally funded infrastructure projects, however, the timeline is expected to be lengthy. The state estimates at least three years from grant award to construction, though Golfman said a longer timeframe is more realistic.
“The official thing is that it’s going to take a minimum three years from the award of the grant to the beginning of construction,” he said. “The realistic time frame is more like four years.”
Golfman pointed to the organization’s experience with Sugarbush Access Road transportation path project as a guide.
“We got that money, we’re three years in, and we are at least a year out still,” he said.
Despite the extended timeline, Golfman said the project represents a major step forward in improving non-motorized transportation options in The Valley.
“This came about — the implementation committee had to do so much work,” he said. “There are many, many hours of volunteer work in addition to our regular work.”
He credited local volunteers and partners, including regional planning and engineering contributors, for helping advance the proposal through a competitive process.
In the meantime, the organization plans to make improvements to the existing Austin Path, including upgrades to meet more accessible, adaptive-use standards.
“In this time in between, while we are going to go through the hoops of this project, we will have time to redevelop the Austin Path to improve it,” Golfman said.
Once complete, the bridge and path connection are expected to provide a safer, more direct route between key destinations in Waitsfield, including recreational areas, businesses and trail systems.
The new bridge is expected to resemble a recently completed span near the Mad River Riders Rec Hub, further expanding the region’s growing network of off-road walking and biking infrastructure.
